That Night
by orangeyhairedimmortal
Summary: Five years after the defeat of Father and the Homunculus, Riza is plagued by a memory that she can never forget. Eventually, she needs to tell someone and so she goes to Risembool to find solace. Can Riza ever forgive herself? Will she ever know what happened? Oneshot. slight fluff at the end.


How many times had she wanted to walk into that room and tell him something? How many times had she stopped before she opened the door? How many times had she screamed his name in her sleep? How many times had his face been within her sight?

How many times had she replayed that night, over and over again?

Five years had gone by.

_Five years._

They had finally defeated the Fuhrer, defeated the Homunculus, defeated everything that would have gotten in their way and where was he?

Gone.

Just gone.

Riza didn't think he was dead at all but she didn't know where in the world he could be. Was he so badly hurt that it had taken all this time to do surgery on him? Did he hit his head and forget everything that had happened, his goals, ambitions? She just wanted to know that he was safe… have some sort of closure. Even if he _were_ dead, at least that was better than having an empty path before her with a million ways that things could be…

"Ms. Riza?"

Riza looked up as Winry smiled a little.

"Do you want some more coffee?"

Riza smiled. "Thanks, yes."

Winry poured a cup for her with one hand, holding her daughter in the other on her hip. Winry turned and put the coffee pot on the counter and set her daughter down.

"Go play with your brother, okay? Mommy needs to talk with Riza for a moment."

Reluctant, the little girl wobbled her way to the living room as Winry sat down in the chair across from Riza.

"How old are they now? Your kids?"

"Maes is about three and Tricia is almost two. She's so shy, unlike the both of us. I guess she takes after Al for that." Winry said with a smile.

Riza smiled too, happy that after their long journey, Ed finally got to settle down with his childhood sweetheart and have a family.

"So what brings you all the way out here to Risembool? You must either really need fresh air or you got fired from the military."

Riza chuckled. "No, nothing like that… Truthfully, I just needed someone to talk to. All of my friend back home have gotten married now and I feel that I will just bombard them. I was never really good with female friends." She said, running her finger on the rim of her mug.

Winry smiled. "Me neither."

"I was hoping Edward was around…"

"Sorry but Ed's gone off with Al to Xing to visit Mei. Hopefully that idiot will finally propose to her and have it over with but, knowing Al he has to have the 'perfect moment' in place before he does anything."

"I hope he gets that moment…" Riza said, a little teary eyed.

Winry could tell that there was something on the lieutenant's mind and reached out, holding her hand.

"I know that Ed's not here but I'm here. I'll listen to what you have to say."

Riza was going to try and wait but the tears she'd been holding back for so long began to fall and she broke down in tears; long awaited, wailing tears that took her breath away.

Winry got up and went over to her, hugging her and comforting her.

"It'll be alright, Riza… Just calm down…"

"I can't! I've been calm this whole time!"

Winry decided not to say anything else as she just held Riza and let her cry.

* * *

><p>It took about fifteen minutes for Riza to finally calm down but when she started, she just couldn't stop. She had been holding those tears in for years and she just couldn't do it anymore. Finally, she sat up and Winry handed her a tissue.<p>

"I'm so sorry." Riza said, wiping her face and blowing her nose.

"You must have needed it…" Riza nodded. "Now, what could make you this way?"

Riza sniffled a little and leaned back in her chair, fiddling with the napkin in her hand.

"It's been… it's been five years since the Colonel went MIA. I've searched everywhere for him in every part of Amestris I can find but there is no sign of him. It was my duty to protect him and I didn't!"

"Well, Riza, things happen-"

"No… No, this _shouldn't_ have happened. He was so close and yet so far away! I should have just reached out further to him and caught him but I didn't!"

"Tell me what happened. It'll give you a little peace if nothing else."

Riza nodded and dabbed her eyes again.

"We were on a train heading toward one of the outer cities. We had heard rumor that the train got taken over by some men. Of course, Roy wanted to go investigate. We investigated and sure enough, the rumors were true. Roy and I eventually ended up in a fight, as usual, but things escalated so quickly… Roy got on the roof of the train and was fighting with a man up there as I took out the others below. When they were gone, I got up on the roof of the train as well. When I got there, I saw the man holding Roy by the throat and in the air. I ran quickly across the train car and just as I got to the man, he let go of Roy.

"The dead weight of letting him go mixed with the speed of the train made Roy almost fall off but he caught onto something on the roof. The man walked away and I ran toward Roy but when I got there and was about to bend down and get him, he lost his grip. I reached out but I didn't catch him! He fell into the snow and I went back to try and look for him but he wasn't there… I don't know where he's at!"

Winry nodded a little, understanding how Riza must feel.

"I could have caught him had I just ran faster and not hesitated. I could have caught him and everything would be fine… Now all I can see is his face when I missed his hand and his body disappear into the night, his hand still outstretched for mine. I failed him as a bodyguard… I failed him in everything."

Winry got up and hugged Riza again.

"I hope that you'll find solace someday, Riza. I really do. But until then, you have nothing to be blamed over. You went as fast as you could and it just happened to happen the way it did. I'm sure Roy knows that you didn't do it on purpose nor did you make him fall. It was all nature."

Riza nodded and stood up.

"Thank you for listening to me… I think I'm better now."

Winry nodded, happy to be of service.

* * *

><p>Riza went back to Central and then back to her home. She opened the door and turned the lights on but was confused when she didn't hear Black Hayate. She turned, gun in hand but lowered it as soon as she saw him.<p>

He was skinnier than she remembered, his face gaunt, and his hair was longer but it was him. He looked up at her and smiled a little.

"Hey, Riza, I'm sorry I took so long."

Riza dropped everything, running to her Colonel as he embraced her with open arms.

* * *

><p><strong>an: you never really read any stories where riza has a girl moment. i mean, i'm sure there are some out there but riza is a woman and before she went into the military, she was just as damsel in distress-like as any other. besides, she loves her colonel!**


End file.
